Crate.



PATENTED OCT. 4, 1904. A. L. FORD.

CRATE.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 11, 1904.

v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No MODEL.

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PATBNTBD OCT. 4, 19041 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. LFORD.

CRATE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 11, 1904.

N0 MODELA Juventa?" m... Mmmm .Y mmv f. mmm: uw 4 hat-w. uw mw UNITED STATES Patented October 4, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CRATE.

SPECIFICATION formingvpart of Letters Patent No. 771,724, dated October 4, 1904.

Application led May ll, 1904. Serial'No. 207,470. (No model.)

To all whom 7125 may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ADELBERT LEE FORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Prescott, in the county of Linn and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Crates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in packing and storing vessels (subclass crates) of that style or construction which is foldable when not in use, and thus occupyacomparatively small space; and the object is to provide an article of the kind named and adapted to the purposes intended which is of simple and durable construction, which may be readily folded, and which can be conveniently extended and firmly sustained in position for utilization, all as will be fully described hereinafter.

The invention resides inthe novel construction of parts and their assemblage or combination, as will be hereinafter particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

I have fully and clearly illustrated the improvements in the annexed drawings to be taken as a part of this specification.

Reference being had to the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved crate set up ready for use. Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal vertical section of the crate, taken on the line about central of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section disclosing the end construction, taken on a line central of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the crate as in folded condition. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section showing the crate in folded condition. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail perspective views of the top and bottom corner-pieces, respectively. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail perspective views of the side and end hinges, respectively.

In the drawings the same parts appearing in the several illustrations are designated by similar reference notations, and, reference being had to the drawings, l designates the bottom or floor of the crate, to the sides and ends of which are secured vertical side and end pieces 2 3, and the bottom is braced and strengthened at the middle by a cross-piece 4. rl'he end pieces of the crate consist of rectangular frames 5, which are braced by suitable brace-pieces 6, arranged diagonally, as seen in the drawings. The upper rails. of the end frames extend above the top edge of the side pieces or frames adistance equal to the thickness of the cover-frame, so that when the cover is arranged in position when the crate is set up it will be held against endwise displacement by the end rails and the top of the crate will present an even surface, as indicated in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. The end frames are hinged to the cleats 3, so that they will turn inward and down and lie flat on the floor of the crate, as indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. These end-frame hinges are made up of a leaf 7 and a screwthreaded shank 8, pivotally secured to the pintle of -the hinge and provided with a fastening-nut 9. The leaf 7 is made long enough to reach above the upper edge of the end cleats of the Hoor and is secured to the lower rail of the end frame, and the threaded shank is projected through the floor, the end crosspieces l0, and the bottom plate of the lower corner-pieces, as seen in the drawings. The stiles of the end frames are recessed, as at a, so they may be turned up or down without striking the hinges of the side frames.

ll designates the sides of the crate, made up of rectangular oblong frames having a middle bracing-stud l2 and diagonally-disposed bracepieces 13. The side frames are hinged to the side cleats of the floor by suitable hinges 14, made up of a leaf and a screw-threaded shank provided with a fastening-nut, as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. The leaf of the hinge is made shorter than in the hinges 7 and the shank longer, so that the side may turn down over the fold ed-in end frames. To the corners of the Hoor-frame are secured corner-pieces 15, which are formed ofright-angled sides and a bottom piece to set about the corners and under the floor, as seen in the drawings and a detail of which is illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings. The sides of these cornerpieces are rabbeted into the side and end cleats of the oor until their outer faces are level with the face of the cleats, so as to let the corner-pieces of the cover lap over them, and the corner-pieces are made of such height lOO as to reach to the upper edge of the lower rails of the end and side frames of the crate` which are also rabbeted to the depth of the thickness of the corner-pieces, as indicated in the drawings, especially Fig. 3, the cornerpieces serving as braces to strengthen the structure.

16 designates the cover, consisting of a rectangular frame adapted to set between the end frames and to rest on the top rails of the side frames and provided with longitudinallydisposed strengthening-strips 17, which are united at their middle portion by cross-pieces 1S, to make an opening within which is arranged a door 19, hinged to one of the strips 17 and provided with a suitable locking device, substantially as shown in the drawings. The corners of the cover are provided with corner-pieces 20, the right-angled flanges of which reach over the upper rails of the end frames and extend down a proper distance over and against the intersecting parts, and when the crate is folded they lap the upper face portions of the corner-pieces of the lioorframe, as seen in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and thus hold the folded parts in relative position. To each'end rail of the cover is hung a hasp 21, which engages a staple in the upper rail of the end frames, and thus locks the cover in position, and when the crate is folded, as in Fig. 1, the hasp engages a staple secured in the end cleats of the floor-frame and holds the parts secured together.

The frames are all provided with wire-netting', as shown, which closes the openings between the frames and at the same time permits a free circulation of air through the crate.

lt will be perceived that the crate is particularly designed for the housing and shipping of poultry.

rl`he crate is of simple and cheap construction, vet lirm and strong when set up, and when folded occupies comparatively little space.

To utilize the crate, the side frames are turned to a vertical position, then the end frames are turned up between the inner faces of the side frames, the cover is then arranged in position as seen in the drawings, and then the hasps arelocled and the erection and assemblage of the parts are complete and the crate ready for use.

To fold the crate for storage or transportation, the cover is removed, the end frames are turned down on the fioor, the side frames turned down over them, then the cover is arranged and secured in position as seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the hasps are locked, and the crate is ready for storage or transportation. Having thus described my improvements, what l claim is# 1. A poultry-crate comprising a floor provided with vertical side and end cleats, side and end frames having their lower rails positioned on the upper edges of the cleats, cornerpieces having vertical anges to set against the end faces of the cleats and lower rails of the side and end frames, hinges to joint the side and end frames to the cleats of the floor said hinges consisting of a leaf secured to the lower rails Iof the side and end frames, a threaded shank hung to the pintle of the leaf and projected through the iioor and the bottom plate of the corner-piece, and fasteningnuts to hold the shank in position and bind the parts together, a detachable cover-frame, corner-pieces secured to the cover having depending iianges adapted to lap the sides of the corner-pieces on the floor When the crate is folded, a door in the cover, means to lock the cover in position, and Wire-netting secured to the frames, the cover and to the door.

2. A poultry-crate, comprising a floor provided with vertical side and end cleats, cornerpieces rabbeted into the `cleats with their faces even with the faces of the cleats and extending above the edges thereof, side frames hinged to the side cleats to turn inward, and rabbeted at the ends coincident to the cleats, end frames hinged to the end cleats of the floor to turn inward, and extending a determined distance above the side frames, and provided with recesses in their end pieces to pass over the adjacent hinges of the side frames, and rabbeted coincidently with the floor-cleats, a cover seated between the end frames and resting' on the side frames, corner-pieces at the corners of the cover embracing' the ends of the hinged frames, and means to lock thecover in position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature'in presence of two witnesses.

ADELBERT LEE FORD.

/Vitnesses:

C. S. FORD, LEE MAYFIELD.

IOO 

